2008 COORDINATION SEGMENT

UN Emblem
Date: - Location: UNHQ

The 2008 coordination segment focused on the follow up to the 2007 Ministerial Declaration on “Strengthening the efforts to eradicate poverty and hunger, including through the global partnership for development”.

The Segment will provide an opportunity to:

  • Assess the UN system role and activities in a broad range of policy areas relevant to the eradication of poverty and hunger;
  • Identify areas where the UN system should promote more comprehensive and effective approaches;
  • Recommend ways in which the UN system's support to eradicate poverty and hunger can be strengthened against the backdrop of current challenges.

The Secretary-General's report on “ The role of the United Nations system in implementing the Ministerial Declaration of the high-level segment of the 2007 substantive session of the Economic and Social Council ” provided the background analysis for the debate on this issue.

The segment also reviewed progress made by the Council in promoting the integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the major UN Conferences and Summits, including the WSIS.

The report of the Secretary-General on “The role of the Economic and Social Council in the integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits, in light of General Assembly resolutions 50/227, 52/12B, 57/270B, 60/265, and 61/16”, provided the background analysis for this review.

The work of the coordination segment was complemented by four panel discussions on:

At the end of its work, the coordination segment is expected to adopt two resolutions on: 1) the theme of the segment; and 2) the role of the ECOSOC in the integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes to major UN conferences and summits.

Programme

 

STATEMENTS

Monday, 7 July 2008

 3 - 4 p.m.

Opening of the Coordination Segment

Theme: “The role of the United Nations system in implementing the ministerial declaration of the high-level segment of the substantive session of 2007 of the Council”

  • Opening statement by H.E. Mr. Antonio Pedro Monteiro Lima ( Cape Verde ), Vice- President of the Economic and Social Council
  • Introduction of the report of the Secretary-General on the theme of the coordination segment ( E/2008/21 )
  • Mr. Thomas Stelzer, Assistant-Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs

4 - 6 p.m.

Panel discussion on the theme “Working towards food security: The United Nations system approach”

  • Chair: H.E. Mr. Antonio Pedro Monteiro Lima ( Cape Verde ), Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council
  • Moderator: Mr. Thomas Stelzer, Assistant-Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs
  • Panellists: Mr. John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator
  • Mr. Christopher Delgado, Adviser, Agriculture and Rural Development, World Bank
  • Ms. Julia Howard, Executive Director, Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa
  • Mr. Themba N. Masuku, Director, FAO Liaison Office with the United Nations
  • Mr. Allan Jury, Director, Division of External Relations, World Food Programme
     

Tuesday, 8 July 2008  

10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Panel discussion on the theme “Rural development and the challenges of social welfare: A country-level perspective”

  • Chairman: H .E. Mr. Antonio Pedro Monteiro Lima ( Cape Verde ), Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council
  • Panellists: Mr. Bunmi Makinwa, Director, Africa Division, UNFPA
  • Mr. Allan Jury, Director, Division of External Relations, WFP

General discussion  

3 - 6 p.m.

Introduction of the report of the Secretary-General on “The role of the ECOSOC in the integrated and coordinated implementation of the outcomes of and follow-up to major United Nations conferences and summits, in light of General Assembly relevant resolutions, including resolution 61/16”

  • Mr. Thomas Stelzer, Assistant-Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs

General debate

Round table discussion on “The role of the Economic and Social Council in addressing violence against women in all its forms and manifestations: A dialogue with the chairpersons of the functional commissions”

Wednesday, 9 July

 10 a.m. -12:30 p.m.

Round table discussion on the theme “Coherence: strengthening the normative and operational link in the work of the UN on rural employment”

Panelists:

DOCUMENTATION

Panel Discussions

Four panel discussions was held during the coordination segment:

Working towards food security: the UN system approach, 6 July (4:00-6:00 p.m.)  

The sharp rise of food prices in recent months has brought to the foreground the issue of global food security. There is a broad consensus that while there is a need for immediate measures to alleviate starvation, there is also a need to develop long-term strategies to address the root causes of the current crisis and the more deep-seated causes of food insecurity. Questions remain on the specific policies to do so effectively to ensure sustainable food supply, a debate that is likely to influence the UN system approach to food security in the future. This panel discussion will provide an opportunity to address these questions in light of current UN system approaches and identify ways in which the UN system support could be strengthened to ensure an effective response to current threats and challenges.

Rural development and the chellenges of social welfare: a country level perspective, 8 July (10:00 am- 12:00 pm)  

There is a growing recognition that rural and agricultural development is critical to reduce poverty and hunger in a sustainable way. Boosting agricultural productivity is essential to ensure food security and to increase the economic prospects of low income-food deficit countries. Agriculture, however, is not only about agricultural productivity, but it is increasingly about its social and environmental impact that will in large part determine its capacity to reduce poverty and hunger. This panel discussion will focus on the national experiences to reform the agricultural sector to boost agricultural productivity while also improving social, economic and environmental performance and the lessons that can be learned from that about the challenges and opportunities facing developing countries.

The role of ECOSOC in addressing violence against women in all its forms and manifestations: A dialogue with the chairpersons of the functional commissions, 8 July, (4:00-6:00 pm)

General Assembly resolution 58/185 requested the Secretary-General to conduct an in-depth study on all forms of violence against women. The study was considered by the Assembly at its 61 st session, and resulted in the adoption of resolution 61/143 on “Intensification of efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women”. The resolution invited the ECOSOC and its functional commissions to discuss by 2008 the question of violence against women in all its forms and manifestations and to set priorities to address this issue in their future work programmes. This panel, structured as a round table discussion, will provide an opportunity for the Council and its functional commissions to reflect on: the impact of violence against women in their mandates; how to address this question in their future work programmes; how the Council can contribute to prevent and eliminate violence against women through its work and oversight function of the work of the functional commissions.

Coherence: strengthening the normative and operational link in the work of the UN on rural employment, 9 July, (10:00 am-12:30 pm)

The work of the functional commissions of the ECOSOC is critical to translate the normative work of the UN conferences and summits, referred to as the UN development agenda, into concrete policies for its implementation. While the work of the commissions provides substantive guidance to UN system organizations involved in supporting country level implementation, this guidance does not always translate into coherent and comprehensive UN system programmes and operations. The coordination segment has the opportunity to strengthen the link between the normative and operational work of the UN by providing a forum for dialogue among the Council's subsidiary bodies guiding the work of the UN system. In particular, the panel, structured as a round table discussion among the chairpersons of relevant functional commissions and UN system governing bodies, will have the opportunity to focus this dialogue on a critical issue for the eradication of poverty and hunger - rural employment - and discuss how these bodies can harmonize their work to provide a coherent and effective support to its promotion.

INFORMAL SUMMARIES

Outcome

For information on the coordination segment please contact Ms. Monica Nogara, Economic Affairs Officer, Policy Coordination Branch, Office of ECOSOC Support and Coordination (212) 963-4901, or write to ecosocinfo@un.org.